Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce

Traditionally, gnocchi is made with regular potatoes, while bolognese sauce can include whole milk or even cream. By using sweet potatoes, lean ground turkey and skim milk, we've taken some of the heft out of this dish and added a bit more nutritional interest.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Use a fork to poke holes in all potatoes. Bake on a cookie sheet, lined with foil, for 45 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven, let cool, remove skins and slice. Add potato slices to a food processor fitted with a standard blade and purée for 3 minutes or until smooth.

To make gnocchi, put potato purée in a large bowl and mix in 2 cups flour, a 1/4 cup at a time (you will get a very sticky consistency). Dust hands with a bit of flour and form puree into teaspoon-sized oval-shaped balls. You will periodically need to dust your hands with more flour while making balls. Once all balls are made (you will have 90 to 100), take a fork and, pressing lightly, make indentations around the circumference of the balls, being careful not to flatten them. Dust 2 plates or a cookie sheet with flour and place gnocchi on them to air-dry so they will not be quite as fragile.

While gnocchi are drying, fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil over medium-high. Once dry, add gnocchi to stockpot in small batches of about 10 to 15. When they float to the surface, after about 3 minutes, remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon.

To make sauce, heat a medium saucepot over medium-high. Let heat for 1 minute, then mist with cooking spray. Add onion, celery and carrots and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add turkey and stir, breaking meat up into pieces with a spoon or spatula as it cooks, about 5 minutes.

Once turkey is cooked, add remaining 2 tbsp flour. Whisk in milk and stir until thickened.

Pour in tomatoes, tomato paste and 1/2 cup water. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir. Add Italian seasoning and basil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and cook for another 5 minutes.

To serve, place 1 cup gnocchi in a bowl and top with 1 cup sauce. Garnish with additional basil, if desired.

Recent Articles

Lentils are a rather unlikely topping for pizza, but you'll definitely fall for the finished result. The legumes lend a meaty texture to the base, supporting ample veggie and cheese toppings, and a serving of this vegetarian dish has an impressive 10 grams of protein!

This Middle Eastern dish traditionally consists of eggs poached in a tomato-based broth. To further enhance your satisfaction, we've added artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and potatoes, still keeping the total time at 40 minutes! Try it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ribollita is a soul-satisfying soup found in the hills of Tuscany, thickened with bread and cooked dried beans. We add loads of fresh spring vegetables and bread bites (be sure to prepare your bread the night before!) to create a thickened minestrone-style soup.

Good Food America chef Nathan Lyon shares a gazpacho recipe from his cookbook, Great Food Starts Fresh. Surprise friends with this sweet ’n’ spicy blend, which was inspired by the chef’s teenage years.